Firetail spent early April in Vanuatu working with the local community in further refining the Firetail aerial robot, Firetail adopt a Human Centric Design approach to all aspects of the business, this means that end user input is paramount in the success of the project.

The Firetail team spent some quality time with Vanuatu NDMO, who were able to get hands on with the Firetail mapping wing. The Vanuatu NDMO are the department who are responsible for co-ordinating a response to natural disasters in the Vanuatu region.

NDMO Staff

Firetail also spent time testing the aerial robot in a series of flight tests and practical mapping in the field, On Wednesday 5 April, the ‘Firetail’ aerial robot demonstrated its capabilities producing real-time maps to the Australian High Commissioner Jenny Da Rin, National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) Acting Director Peter Korisa, Paramount Chief of Pango Village, Rolland Kaluatman Maseiman, Chairman of Pango Area Council, Wilson Kaluat and members of the Pango Village Community Disaster & Climate Change Committee (CDCCC). Funded by the Australian Government through the Pacific Humanitarian Challenge, the aerial robot is being tested for use in disaster preparedness planning and rapid assessment of damage post disaster.